378 SERMONSupon Serm. XLVII. ers can overtop the Divine and Soveraign Cord of the Redeemed The glory of Kings and Emperorscompared to his glory, is lefs than the light of a candle compared with the Sun in his brightnefs. 3. Couple : Nor things prefect, nor things to come : Thereby he meaneth all things that had happened, or might hereafter happen to them befor their departure out of the World : As we bear up under prefect preffures,fowe nee4, ear thofe which are tocome; we often forecaft what (hall become of us, if the Lord permit great troubles, trials and calamities to befal us ; a Chriftian is as fure of things to come, as things prefent; the prefent hopes, fears, and enjoyments are tranfitory and contemptible ; and future evils will fooner be paft over ; for our falvation will be much nearer, than when we firft be- lieved, Rom. t 3. 1t. 4. Neither height nor depth: The creatures above us,or below us ; neither fublimitary of honours, nor depth of'ignominy ; dignities do not intice, nor difgraces difcourage us ; no power from the higheft to the loweft of the creatures; no efface or condi (ion of 1 ife, from the higheft honour to the loweft beggery, can prevail with us to quit Chrift. Secondly, The general expreffion, ( nor ahy other creature ) comprifing thereby all things on this fide God, how amiable or terrible foever they feem: What can creatures do, when they are in the hands, and under the care of the Creator? Well then , The fenf is, That no force or fraud (hall untwift the baytds and cords of this love ; no temp- tation (ball blaft, or perfecution caufe that faith to wither, which bath taken root in a good and honeftheart. a. Their attempt ordefign; Tofeparateusfrom the love of. God inCbris`I Nis our Lord ; That is, from the love wherewith we through Chrift love God ; and the love where- with God loved us through Chrift ; this as the caufe, that as the effea ; for the embraces are mutual ; we apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Chris% Phil. 3. r o: Only he firft layette hold upon us by his effeaual Grace, and we lay hold upon him; and our (landing dependeth upon our love as a means,and his love, as the principal confer - ving caufe. 3. Thefruitlefnefs of the attempt ; nothing (hall be able to feparate ru from the loos of . God. Mark, The Apoftle doth not only fay, that nothing fha 1, but nothing can feparate ns,which is more emphatical. 4. Hisconfidence I am perfwaded : The Apoftle doth not go by thinking and gueffang, but undoubted knowledg ; Elfewhere we have two words, a Tim. r. 12. I 4now whom I have believed , and 1 am perfwaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him. There are two ads of the under(landing, apprehenfion, and judication : The firft is implied in 84a ; the feçond in 0.11..ers.u. We mutt know the grounds, and affent to them, Pleb. 11. 13. doeacáµers being perfwaded' of theft things, they embraced them. The mind açquiefceth in the evidence of truth, the will in the worth of truth evidenced. Once more ; Paul doth not fpeak of his refolution, what he would do, but his perfwafion, what God wòuld do ; the firft included, but the latter more clearly affected. geft. The only Queftion which remaineth for Explication is, Whether Paul fpake this of himfelf, and in his own perfon only, or in the name of all believers. Anf. My Anfwer is the fame with that which Paul giveth in fomewhat a like cafe of Abraham, Rom. 4. 23, 24. Now it was not writfor his fake alone, but for usalfa, who believe in jefus. For he doth not fpeak this out of any fpecial and perfonal Revelation made to himfelf, and concerning himfelf, but that common fpirit of faith, which falleth upon all believers ; and fo we may fay as Paul of David, 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the fame fpirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I fpoken; we alfo be- lieve, and therefore fpeak My reafons are, firft, Becaufe he afterwards changeth the number, I am perfwaded; but 'cis war, feparate us. Secondly, The grounds are the fame to all, the promife the fame, and 'cis the common intereft of all the faithful to be prefer - ved in Jefus Chrift : If any be weak, and grow not up to this full perfwafion and tri- umph over all doubts and fears, 'tis their own fault, for this is not fo peculiar to Parr!: but they alfo, if they be notwanting to themfelves, may be carried to heaven in Chrilts triumphant Chariot with confidence and rejoicing, notwithftanding all impediments and difficulties in the way : All may, and if they do not, 'cis becaufc they do not im- prove the common grounds, t. Doa:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=